UK Drugs Baron arrested by Thai cops on Samui

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A high profile drugs fugitive who fled the UK after being jailed for 15 years has been arrested by a successful police operation in Thailand.

Jonathon Moorby is a Teessider who had been suspected of hiding out in Thailand for some time. He was flushed out on Monday after a representative went to pick up his son at Suvarnabhumi airport at the weekend, reported Thai Rath.

Moorby was behind a major drugs conspiracy to flood Teesside with high grade cocaine and described in the UK press as a “drugs baron” for his involvement in the trade.

He once sent his terrified estranged wife a text message saying “tick, tock, tick, tock” as he prepared to set fire to her home.

Thai drugs police in Surat Thani became aware after representations from their UK counterparts that Moorby was due to pick up his son at the airport on Saturday at noon.

But instead of going himself he sent someone else who was secretly followed with the son back to Samui and thence to a hotel.

Several other relatives of Moorby arrived which ultimately led to the arrest of the suspect who had been hiding out on Koh Matsum that lies off the southern coast of Samui.

He is now in custody with Bo Phut police on Samui.

The Thai operation was carried out by drugs suppression police, local immigration and police and soldiers.

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